Sr. Vassa: There's no ontological impediment to priestesses
Is the male-only priesthood a discipline or essential to the nature of being a priest? Sr. Vassa (again unflinchingly taking up a contentious topic by climbing up the ladder to the highest platform and then jumping into the deep end head first) dives right in and says there is no reason beyond personal preference to not have female clergy. You know, when people ask me about women in priesthood, they say, 'Sister, why can't women be priests?' And I say, 'Women CAN be priests. We don't WANT them to be priests.' Because you see, God can do anything, and the Church, by divine authority, uh, can do anything, but, the Church doesn't want to - and that's a legitimate reason. What I don't like is when we TRY to pretend that there are other reasons for this, because it's legitimate not to want something, and there are reasons not to want this - right? - but, we shouldn't pretent that there's some... reason, that, for example, the maleness...
How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news. I wish those who were opposed to ecumenical dialogue would come to participate in events like this, break down misunderstandings that this is some sort of syncretism, and pray for each other. Orientale Lumen has been a model of what ecumenical discussions should be.
ReplyDeleteGod bless Jack Figel. OL is one of the most important and gospel-centered ministries currently doing ecumenical work. Hence the participation of the foremost lights of both Orthodoxy (EO and OO) and Catholicism (Latin and other Rites).
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